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....He claimed easyJet was “secretly shitting themselves” over Brexit. O’Leary produced a document which had been circulated in Brussels showing that carriers including Air France-KLM and Lufthansa were demanding full regulatory convergence in any deal, and stopping all cabotage rights – meaning UK carriers such as easyJet would not be able to fly domestic routes within Europe. ...
[Read full article on Guardian]

....He said he expected EU competition authorities would demand substantial remedies in the event Lufthansa buys Air Berlin, with the carrier likely to have to give up slots on routes within Germany to preserve competition. If the Alitalia deal proceeds, it would be Ryanair’s first successful takeover since it bought its rival Buzz from KLM in 2003. ...
[Read full article on Guardian]

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....He said he expected EU competition authorities would demand substantial remedies in the event Lufthansa buys Air Berlin, with the carrier likely to have to give up slots on routes within Germany to preserve competition. If the Alitalia deal proceeds, it would be Ryanair’s first successful takeover since it bought its rival Buzz from KLM in 2003. ...

....He claimed easyJet was “secretly shitting themselves” over Brexit. O’Leary produced a document which had been circulated in Brussels showing that carriers including Air France-KLM and Lufthansa were demanding full regulatory convergence in any deal, and stopping all cabotage rights – meaning UK carriers such as easyJet would not be able to fly domestic routes within Europe. ...

....That leaves Macron in a position where he only needs to achieve a fraction of the reforms he has planned for France to accelerate out of trouble, leaving the UK in its wake. Thursday was “an exciting day” for Virgin Atlantic, Sir Richard Branson wrote to his staff, as the airline’s founder sold the bulk of his shareholding to Air France-KLM and left Delta with the biggest stake. ...

....The potential end of an era looms in British aviation after Sir Richard Branson announced he is selling 31% of Virgin Atlantic, relinquishing his controlling interest in the airline he founded in 1984. Branson will net £220m from the deal to sell the 31% stake to Air France-KLM and remain as chairman of the airline. ...

. A clash of national cultures and an inability to understand each other’s languages threatens to make the merged Air France-KLM group of airlines unmanageable, according to a leaked internal company report. ...

....The consumer group analysed landing times for 850,000 flights at 25 UK airports and found that on average only 75% of all flights arrived on time. Dutch airline KLM was the most punctual carrier, followed by Qatar Airways. ...

....Few airlines share Ryanair’s worst fears. Pieter Elbers, the chief executive of Dutch national carrier KLM, which flies to 17 destinations in the UK from Amsterdam, with Britain representing almost a quarter of its European capacity, told the Guardian: “It’s a worry. ...

....Representatives from easyJet, along with the British Airways owner IAG, Ryanair and the Tui Group, whose portfolio of airlines includes Thomson, met the EU’s Brexit taskforce last week. That followed a meeting the previous week between the taskforce and executives from Air France-KLM, Finnair, Lufthansa and SAS, as part of the EU’s efforts to engage with stakeholders. ...

....Air France plans to launch a new budget carrier in late 2017 serving cities in Asia, followed by routes to the US. The Air-France KLM group already operates the Hop and Transavia budget brands in Europe. ...

....Air France, which employs 55,000 people, scrapped the restructuring plan but still faces tensions with pilots and flight crews, who staged strikes in late July. Air France-KLM returned to profit last year after seven years of losses but faces stiff competition from Asian and Gulf airlines as well as new low-cost, long-haul alternatives. ...

.... Expanding at 9% may nevertheless appear rash but many of easyJet’s competitors will do well just to stand still. So best to take advantage of the weaknesses of the likes of Monarch, Air Berlin and Air France-KLM. ...

....”. McCall said airlines such as Air France-KLM had gained some breathing space from ultra-low oil prices, which encouraged them to fly more planes, putting pressure on air fares, but that as oil rises those carriers will find trading tough. ...

....The defence maintained that the gate was normally open, and that securing it on the day of the incident was a "provocation". The 5 October meeting at Air France headquarters in Roissy took place amid a febrile atmosphere over Air France-KLM's plans to restructure a business struggling against stiff competition. ...

.... It now expects operating profit to rise by a "low double digit percentage" this year, compared with earlier predictions of a rise of about 40%. Europe's airline sector has been under pressure, with both Lufthansa and Air France-KLM warning recently on the impact of recent terror attacks, and with air traffic control strikes in France also affecting services. ...

....Hial said passenger numbers for Inverness Airport were up by 8% in 2015. British Airways is to launch a new daily service from the airport to London Heathrow and KLM will be flying daily to Amsterdam Schiphol from May. ...

.... . The bosses of British Airways-owner International Airlines Group, easyJet, Ryanair, Air-France KLM and Lufthansa put aside their differences in Amsterdam today to launch a new lobbying group, called Airlines for Europe. ...

....A number of apps are available to help business people make the most of a plane journey’s networking opportunities. Planely and KLM’s Meet & Seat both enable you to share your travel and profile information with other travellers, and then arrange to sit with those whose interests align with your own. ...

....4bn) was wiped off shares in European travel and hotel companies , as investors focused on concerns that the Paris attacks will hit tourism and consumer confidence across the continent. Shares in airline Air France-KLM, travel company Thomas Cook and their sector peers were down sharply on Monday, over fears the attacks and the prospect of tighter border controls would deter shoppers and holidaymakers from visiting Paris and other European cities. ...

....Other poor performers in the study included United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and American Airlines, who scored barely above BA and Lufthansa. At the other end of the table, Air Berlin, KLM and Aer Lingus averaged 36km per litre of fuel. ...

.... Unions have called for industrial action on that date in protest against the disciplinary measures. At the end of October parent firm Air France-KLM reported a net loss of €158m for the first nine months of this year, compared with a loss of €533m for the corresponding period last year. ...

.... . There was demand for easyJet’s services, Ms McCall said, because short-haul European flights are “prohibitively expensive” for legacy airlines, carriers that include Air France-KLM and Lufthansa. ...

. The group, which also owns Spanish carrier Iberia and recently bought Ireland’s Aer Lingus, has pushed through cost-cutting measures ahead of European rivals such as Lufthansa and Air France-KLM. ...

.... The upgrades come a week after IAG reported an £850m quarterly profit and announced a debut dividend. Analysts said IAG, which also includes Aer Lingus since a takeover was cleared in July, could steal a march on major European rivals such as Air France-KLM and Lufthansa. ...

....". At the same time, consolidation in the industry has led to airline tie-ups in Europe, such as the Air France-KLM deal of 2003 and the British Airways-Iberia merger in 2010, but the market has remained fragmented. ...

....The biggest Gulf airline, Emirates, and its subsidiary flydubai, as well as Air Arabia, said they were rerouting flights around the peninsula where the Russian Metrojet flight crashed soon after takeoff from Sharm el-Sheikh, killing all 224 people on board. Lufthansa and Air France-KLM have also decided to stop flying over the peninsula while the risks are assessed after an Islamic militant group claimed to have shot the plane down – a claim that Moscow has so far dismissed. ...

.... . Airlines across Europe have enjoyed a strong summer, with IAG’s rivals Air France-KLM and Lufthansa yesterday unveiling soaring earnings that have been boosted by cheap fuel and brobust demand for travel. ...

....Two big European airlines have reported improved results but warned more cost-cutting is needed. Air France-KLM reported a better-than-expected improvement in third quarter earnings while Germany's Lufthansa raised its full year profit target as a result of strong demand and low fuel prices. ...

....The airline said that fewer than 1,000 jobs will now go, compared with the 2,900 originally planned. Alexandre de Juniac, chief executive of Air France-KLM, said the job cuts next year would now be voluntary. ...

....Air France will cut less than a third of the 2,900 jobs it proposed in a previously published plan for 2016/2017 that triggered clashes with some staff, the chief executive of its parent company said on Sunday. The job cuts in 2016 would be voluntary and heavier job losses in 2017 could be avoided if talks with unions led to an agreement on alternative savings measures by the beginning of 2016, said Alexandre de Juniac, chief of Air France-KLM. ...

....A legal investigation has been opened after Air France lodged a complaint over aggravated violence, saying seven people were injured, including a security guard who was seriously hurt. Air France-KLM’s human resources manager, Xavier Broseta, had his shirt ripped off and, wearing just his tie and trousers, had to clamber over a wire fence to safety after hundreds of striking workers stormed the board meeting on Monday in protest at the planned job cuts. ...

....The cuts are part of plans to lower costs at the ailing company, after failing to reach an agreement with pilots over pay and work conditions. Alexandre de Juniac, chief executive of Air France-KLM, announced Friday the company would have to cut jobs as the it was being squeezed by low-cost airlines in Europe and Gulf carriers for long-haul flights. ...

....The French bosses organisation, MEDEF, blamed an “irresponsible minority” for “unacceptable and scandalous aggression”. Air France was founded in 1933 and in 2004 merged with the Dutch airline KLM to create the world’s fifth-largest air transport company. ...

.... . This week, European judges heard the latest case put forward by Dutch airline KLM that rejected a compensation claim on the basis that a technical problem "arose spontaneously" rather than being discovered during routine maintenance. ...

....Millions of stranded airline passengers will be eligible for compensation payouts after the European court of justice (ECJ) ruled that they can claim for delays caused by technical problems. In a case brought by the Dutch airline KLM, the judge decreed that unexpected technical problems can no longer count as an “extraordinary circumstance”, opening the door to claims of up to €600 (£437) a head. ...

.... But the regulation does not give a definition of "extraordinary circumstances", something the airlines keep quibbling about. Corina van der Lans' KLM flight from Quito in Ecuador to Amsterdam was delayed for 29 hours due to the discovery of defective components in the plane. ...

....Wow appears to be achieving this on Google Flights and Skyscanner for several routes: apparently substantially undercutting the nearest rivals on certain days, and frequently cheapest for those prepared to take connecting flights and be flexible on travel dates. Google found a £274 return on Wow for London-Washington leaving 15 October, compared to that day’s next cheapest £498 on KLM (connecting) or £541 on Virgin (direct); as little as £249 return departing November 11 to Boston (then £411 on Virgin). ...

...."Last year the UK Supreme Court ruled that consumers had six years to claim compensation for delays and said that technical difficulties are not "extraordinary circumstances" for the purposes of a compensation claim. Yesterday, the European Court of Justice also found in favour of a Dutch couple who were refused compensation by KLM because of a delay caused by a technical problem. ...

....Individuals will be able to claim as much as €600 (£437) a head after the court said airlines must pay out if flights are delayed or cancelled for “technical reasons”. Thousands of claims made by passengers of Ryanair, Flybe, Thomas Cook, Jet2 and WizzAir were put on hold pending the outcome of the ruling, which involved Dutch airline KLM. ...

. Ryanair will provide connecting flights for long-haul airlines including Lufthansa and Air France-KLM within the next 10 years, as Europe’s biggest discount carrier targets tie-ups to expand its network and boost passenger numbers. ...

. The budget carrier, which competes with the likes of Expedia and Opodo by offering hotels and car hire on its own website, has written to four leading airlines, thought to be British Airways owner IAG, easyJet, Lufthansa and Air France-KLM, asking them to display each other’s fares on their website in a bid to circumvent comparison sites. ...

....The airline’s controversial boss, Michael O’Leary, has written to four other leading airlines in Europe asking them to display each other’s fares on their website, to circumvent the price comparison sites. He did not name the airlines, but they are understood to be IAG (British Airways/Iberia), Air France/KLM, Lufthansa and easyJet. ...

. The bosses of British Airways owner IAG, easyJet, Ryanair, Air France KLM and Lufthansa met collectively for the first time yesterday in Brussels and set out measures to boost the competitiveness of their industry. ...

.... Ms McCall, the boss of easyJet, said that a change of strategy from EU transport commissioner Violeta Bulc would mean more flights and lower prices for passengers. The bosses have now agreed to lobby EU officials, with the heads of Lufthansa Group and Air France KLM, for chnage and a simpler regulatory structure. ...

.... . Willie Walsh of International Airlines Group, Carolyn McCall at easyJet, Michael O’Leary of Ryanair, Alexandre de Juniac at Air France-KLM and Carsten Spohr of Lufthansa met in Brussels on Wednesday to call on Violeta Bulc, the European transport commissioner, to use the EU’s forthcoming aviation strategy to support the airline industry. ...

....5p to 3,511p, and Imperial Tobacco up 71p to 3,246p, while British Airways owner IAG dropped 6. 5p to 502p on the back of a share price slump from struggling rival Air France KLM which is cutting routes to keep costs low. ...

....g. BA on London-Santorini, Swiss from Zurich/Geneva; (2) Block-and-tackle from network airlines’ own low cost carriers like IAG’s Vueling, Air France KLM’s Transavia using slots at Paris Orly, or Lufthansa’s Eurowings at Basel; (3) Ryanair now looks set to further step up competition with easyJet over winter 2015/16: (4) Growth fleet versus slot limits – we remain unclear how a fleet around 50% larger by 2021 can be deployed without chasing increasingly marginal returns in more competitive areas if easyJet’s key airports are already slot constrained (e. ...

.... . Ryanair, which raised its guidance for 2015 earnings five times, is targeting major European airports and looking to tempt passengers away from network airlines such as Deutsche Lufthansa and Air France-KLM Group. ...

.... It was hoped the ruling would clarify the strength of this common reason used to refuse a payout, but airlines continue to dig their heels in and ignore or contest the outcome. A judge in Liverpool county court threw out applications in February by Jet2, Ryanair, Flybe and Wizz Air to keep claims on hold until a case in Holland about technical delays (Van der Lans v KLM) was decided. ...

.... IAG slid 7p, or 1. 2pc, to 591½p – the heaviest of just three fallers in the FTSE 100 on Tuesday – after analysts at JP Morgan Cazenove advised that investors should take a “clear bias towards” shares in European budget airlines over legacy carriers such as the BA owner, Air France-KLM and Germany’s Lufthansa. ...

.... The easyJet boss was speaking at the launch of its twenty-sixth operational base, at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. The Luton-based airline is going head to head with KLM, which has its hub at Schiphol, and by the winter will have four aircraft based at Amsterdam. ...

....
He has been true to his word, in an effort to catch up with his dealmaking
rivals. Air France had already merged with KLM in 2004, while Lufthansa had
swallowed up Austrian Airlines, BMI and Swiss International. ...

....Lufthansa is also not alone in struggling to cut costs to counter the threat to their survival from leaner rivals. Air-France KLM faced two weeks' of pilots strikes over its plans to expand its low cost carrier Transavia in September forcing it to backtrack on plans to expand. ...